KRISTEN RINGO
Portland,OR
Summary
Results-driven merchandise planning leader with experience driving sales, margin, and inventory productivity across $1B+ omni-channel retail and direct-to-consumer businesses. Expertise in demand forecasting, lifecycle planning, and KPI-driven decision making. Proven ability to align inventory and assortment strategies to customer demand, optimize seasonal business models, and lead high-performing teams to deliver profitable growth.
Overview
2027
2027
years of professional experience
Work History
Sr. Manager of Commercial Planning
Orvis
01.2025 - Current
- Lead end-to-end merchandise planning across pre-season assortment, in-season OTB management, and post-season hindsight analysis
- Built integrated planning framework to align product, channel, and financial plans, improving visibility into sales, margin, and inventory performance
- Own S&OP and long-range planning processes to align cross-functional teams to demand trends and growth objectives
Sr. Manager of Planning, North America DTC
Columbia Sportswear
2009 - 01.2025
- Led merchandise planning for $1B+ DTC business across eCommerce and retail stores
- Owned demand forecasting and inventory planning, aligning supply with customer demand across seasonal and replenishment categories
- Optimized inventory flow and lifecycle management, reducing excess inventory by 15% while improving in-stock rates
- Partnered with merchandising, marketing, and finance to align assortment, pricing, and promotional strategies to business goals
- Led long-range planning and supported growth initiatives including eCommerce expansion and new store openings
- Directed planning system implementation and led team of 22 planners and managers
- Earlier Roles: Sr. Manager, Planning & Allocation; Manager, Planning; Sr. Planner; Inventory Analyst
Founder & Owner
Ringo Baby
01.2005 - 01.2013
- Owned end-to-end merchandise planning, demand forecasting, and inventory management for DTC stationery business
- Managed seasonal assortment planning and production to align with milestone-driven customer demand (births, holidays)
- Leveraged customer insights and sales trends to optimize product mix and drive repeat business
Education
B.A. - Business Administration
University of Washington
Skills
- Merchandise Planning & Forecasting
- Inventory & Lifecycle Management
- OTB Management
- Assortment Planning
- KPI & Financial Planning
- Omni-Channel Strategy
- S&OP & Long-Range Planning
- Cross-Functional Leadership
Accomplishments
- Led merchandise planning for $1B+ omni-channel business across eCommerce and retail
- Reduced eCommerce excess inventory by 15% through improved demand and intake strategies
- Built and led team of 22 planners with strong internal promotion and retention rates
- Designed and implemented scalable planning processes and tools to improve inventory visibility and decision-making
Timeline
Sr. Manager of Commercial Planning
Orvis
01.2025 - Current
Founder & Owner
Ringo Baby
01.2005 - 01.2013
Sr. Manager of Planning, North America DTC
Columbia Sportswear
2009 - 01.2025
B.A. - Business Administration
University of Washington
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
- NIKE, Inc. — Merchandise Planner / Buyer
- Blowout — Co-Founder / Co-Owner